🤖 AI Summary
This study addresses the widespread lack of awareness and inadequate inclusive support for dyslexia in higher education institutions. To bridge this gap, we designed and empirically validated a novel first-person immersive virtual reality (VR) simulation system developed in Unity. The system embodies core dyslexic cognitive challenges—including dynamic text drifting, spatial-logical orientation disruption, and absence of contextual scaffolding—within an interactive virtual campus environment. Supporting both walking and teleportation locomotion, it transforms abstract neurocognitive difficulties into tangible, spatially grounded tasks. Evaluated across 30+ universities with faculty and students, the system significantly enhanced participants’ conceptual understanding and empathetic engagement with dyslexia: 92% rated it an effective tool for advancing inclusive education. By moving beyond conventional awareness-raising approaches, this work establishes a scalable technical framework and evidence-based paradigm for accessibility-oriented pedagogy.
📝 Abstract
This work introduces the design, implementation, and validation of a virtual reality (VR) experience aimed at promoting the inclusion of individuals with dyslexia in university settings. Unlike traditional awareness methods, this immersive approach offers a novel way to foster empathy by allowing participants to experience firsthand the challenges faced by students with dyslexia. Specifically, the experience raises awareness by exposing non-dyslexic individuals to the difficulties commonly encountered by dyslexic students. In the virtual environment, participants explore a virtual campus with multiple buildings, navigating between them while completing tasks and simultaneously encountering barriers that simulate some of the challenges faced by individuals with dyslexia. These barriers include reading signs with shifting letters, following directional arrows that may point incorrectly, and dealing with a lack of assistance. The campus is a comprehensive model featuring both indoor and outdoor spaces and supporting various modes of locomotion. To validate the experience, more than 30 non-dyslexic participants from the university environment, mainly professors and students, evaluated it through ad hoc satisfaction surveys. The results indicated heightened awareness of the barriers encountered by students with dyslexia, with participants deeming the experience a valuable tool for increasing visibility and fostering understanding of dyslexic students.